Vacuum control valve



Aug. 29, 1961 R. T. MARETTE ETAL 2,993,024

VACUUM CONTROL VALVE Filed May 25, 1959 A TMOSPHERE 2 INVENTORS 6 5 RALPH 7'- MARC-77E 33 3 A PAUL .7: MILLER 3o BY 67 1 4 RIC/1E), NF/VENIWQFA mw/varo/v 2,998,024 VACUUM CONTROL VALVE Ralph T. Marette, Cleveland Heights, and Paul J. Miller, Maple Heights, Ohio, assignors to The Weatherhead Company, Cleveland, ()hio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 25, 1959, Ser. No. 815,698 12 Claims. (Cl. 137620) This invention relates to a vacuum control valve and more particularly a valve constructed and arranged to connect a vacuum responsive device to a source of vacuum or to atmosphere.

It is among the objects of our invention to provide a vacuum control valve having a chamber, a passageway leading into the chamber from an actuated device, a port in the chamber leading to a source of vacuum and a second port in the chamber leading to the atmosphere and wherein a shuttle member is mounted in the chamber and arranged to sequentially close one of said ports and open the other of said ports to the passageway leading to the actuated device.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a valve according to the preceding objects wherein the shuttle member is a molded body of rubber-like material having a neck portion extending therefrom through the atmosphere port and wherein the valve is provided with means exterior of the chamber for moving the shuttle member in one direction to close one of said ports and maintain said port closed.

Further objects and advantages relating to low cost of manufacture, efliciency in operation and long life will appear from the following description and the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation with parts in section of a preferred form of our vacuum control valve open to atmosphere;

FIG. 2 is an elevation with parts in section showing a portion of the valve in enlarged detail;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the valve of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevation with parts in section showing the form of valve of FIG. 1 moved to vacuum position;

FIG. 5 is a modification of the control valve normally biased to atmosphere position; and

FIG. 6 is a modified form of the vacuum control valve.

Referring to the drawings, the form of valve of FIGS. 1 to 5 includes a valve body indicated in its entirety as at 5, a mounting bracket as at 6 and a manually operated valve lever indicated in its entirety as at 7. The valve body 5 is provided with an elongated shuttle chamber 9 which is provided with an atmosphere port 10 and a vacuum line port 11. Preferably the shuttle chamber 9 is cylindrical and the valve body is provided with a passageway 12 leading to an actuated device such as a windshield wiper, or the like. The port 11 leading to a source of vacuum, such as an automobile intake manifold, is formed in the body 5 and the atmosphere port 10' is formed in a disc 10:! which is secured to the valve body by staking or crimping the material of the valve body over the edge of the disc 10a.

The alternate opening and closing of the ports 10 and 11, which is effective to open the passageway 12 to either atmosphere or to the vacuum source, is accomplished by a shuttle member indicated in its entirety as at 20. The shuttle member 20 is preferably molded of rubber or rubber-like material such as neoprene and consists of the main shuttle body 21, the shuttle body neck 22 and the neck extension 23. The body portion 21 is provided with an axial extent less than the distance between the ports 10 and 11. The diameter of the shuttle body portion 21 is less than the diameter of the shuttle chamber 9 so that a path for air flow is provided between the shuttle member and the wall of the shuttle chamber. The lower 2,998,024 Patented Aug. 29, 1961 end of the body portion 21 as at 21a is rounded so as to form a sealing closure for the port 11 leading to the vacuum source. The other end of the body portion 21, as indicated at 21b, is similarly rounded to form a sealing closure for the atmosphere port 10.

The flexible neck portion 22 is characterized by a diameter less than the diameter of the port 10 so that the neck 22 fits loosely in the port 10 and provides a path for air flow through the port around the neck. The neck 22 is employed to move the shuttle body 20 from the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the position shown in FIG. 4.

The valve bracket 6 includes a flat section 30 which is bolted as at 31 to a supporting structure 32. The flat portion 30 is apertured to receive a reduced shoulder portion 33 at the lower end of the valve body 5. Integrally formed with the flat bracket portion 30 are spaced upstanding ears 34 and 35 which embrace the sides of the manually operated lever 7. The lever 7 is pivotally mounted in the ears 34 and 35 by means of a transverse pivot pin 36. The portion of the lever 7 provided with the pivot pin 36 is notched as indicated at 38 to accommodate the neck portion 22 of the shuttle member 20 and the extended tip portion 23 of the shuttle member 20.

Preferably the lever 7 is molded of plastic material such as phenolic resin and during the molding thereof an insert 39 is fixed in the handle molding to support the wire 40 projecting through the notched portion 38 of the handle. The outer end portion of the wire 40 is wrapped around the neck 22 by means of the turns indicated at 41. It will be understood that the turns 41 at the end of the wire 46 are initially formed to have an inner diameter slightly less than the diameter of the neck 22. The extended tip portion 23 at the end of the neck 22 facilitates the assembly. The tip portion 23 pilots the neck 22 into the convolutions of the wire 41 during assembly.

The wire 40 is looped about the pivot pin 36 so as to form a coil spring 40a intermediate the lever and the shuttle member 20 which is to be moved. As illustrated in the enlarged detail showing of FIG. 2, the wire 4% along with its coil spring 40a biases the shuttle body portion 21 to a vacuum closed position before the fiat surface 7a at the under side of the lever 7 engages the upper portion of the valve body 5. The space between the lever surface 7a and the upper portion of the body 5 is indicated at 7b in FIG. 2. This arrangement provides: that the shuttle member is first spring biased to closed position by means of the wire 40 and the coil spring 40a is thereafter further tensioned by the spring 50. When the valve is moved from the vacuum closed position as shown in FIG. 2 to the vacuum open position shown in FIG. 4, it will be understood that the lever 7 first moves to provide the space 7b before the shuttle member 21 is free from the port 11. When the valve is in the vacuum open position shown in FIG. 4 it will be noted that the atmosphere port 10 is closed by the shuttle body 21 just prior to the lever 7 reaching its maximum up position. The portion of the wire 40 between the pivot 36 and the neck 22 of the shuttle member is thus bent or tensioned as illustrated in FIG. 4. The spring wire 40 and the spring 50 in series as described insures a fast opening and closing of the ports 10 and 11. The arrangement results in a tension in the spring wire 40 in both positions of the shuttle member.

The spring 50 biases the manual lever 7 to its open and closed positions and the spring wire 40 exerts correspond ing forces on the shuttle member 21 which are the result of joint or combined spring actions.

To bias the valve into its atmosphere position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or to its vacuum position as shown in FIG. 4, a coil spring 50 is mounted between the inturned end 51 of the metal bracket portion 52 and the end of the lever 7. Preferably the end of the lever 7 when molded is provided with a lug 53 which is proper! tioned to fit within the end convolution of the spring 50. As illustrated in FIG. I, the lug 51 is disposed above and out of alignment with respect to the lug 53 so that in order to move the valve from the atmosphere position to the vacuum position it is necessary to compress the spring 50 by swinging the lug 53 upwardly and overcenter until the lug 53 has moved to a second position above the lug 51 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

In the form of control valve illustrated in FIG. 6 the manually operated handle 107, the valve body 105 and the shuttle member 121 are constructed substantially as the parts 7, and 21 of the preferred embodiment. The form of invention of FIG. 6 also includes a bracket member 152 which serves as one abutment for a spring 150 which normally biases the valve to open and closed positions. In this form of our invention, however, the spring wire 1 .0 is mounted in the handle 107 substantially below the pivot pin 136 and extends from the handle 107 free of contact with the pivot pin 136. The end of the wire 140 is provided with convolut-ions 141 which resiliently embrace the stem or neck 122 of the shuttle member. With the change in location of the spring wire 140 as compared to the wire 40 in the preferred form, a different mode of operation is effected.

The location of the convolutions 141 is such that when the valve is moved to vacuum open position, the convolutions have a central axis indicated at 160 which brings about a bending or tilting of the neck 122 relative to the body of the shuttle member 121. The bending of the neck 122 tensions the neck relative to the shuttle member 121 and effects a firm, positive closure of the atmosphere port.

In this form of the invention the swinging of the lever 107 so as to close the vacuum port imposes a tension in the wire 140 which is the result of the position of the lever 107 due to the tension in spring 150. Such tension in the wire 140 is useful in providing aquick opening and closing of the ports.

The form of invention illustrated in FIG. 5 includes 7 an operating handle 207 which is pivoted at 236 and which is arranged to operate a shuttle member Within the valve body 205 substantially as in the preferred embodiment. In this form, however, the bracket 252 is extended upwardly so that its upper end as at 251 is above the lug 253 in all positions of the handle 207. Accordingly in this form of valve the handle 207 is continuously biased so as to close the vacuum port in the body 205.

The form of invention of FIG. 5 is particularly suited for the control of devices which require continued manual pressure on the lever 207 to maintain the devices operative. The forms of valve shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6 are Well suited for the operation of windshield Wipers, or the like, Where such devices are intended to be maintained in vacuum open position for considerable periods of time. The device of FIG. 5 is suited for the operation of convertible top mechanism or carburetor choke control mechanism where the duration of the control requires continued manual pressure on the handle 207.

In the operation of all forms of our invention the lowermost port in the valve body is connected by means of a nipple to a rubber tube 67 leading to the intake manifold or other source of vacuum in a motor vehicle. The normally open port at the side of the shuttlechamber is connected by means of a nipple such as 64 to a rubber tube 65 leading to the windshield wiper or other device which is to be actuated. With the operating lever 7 in its horizontal position, the lowermost port in the body is closed by the shuttle member and the actuated device is opened through the upper port to atmosphere. Depression of the lever 7 or the lever 107 or the lever 207 brings the shuttle member upwardly in its chamber, closes the atmosphere port and opens the port leading to the source of vacuum. In the forms of FIGS. 1 to and 6 the lever is biased to either .of its two positions, whereas in FIG. 5 the lever 207 is continuously biased to open the valve to atmosphere. It will be understood that in all forms of the device when the port leading to the source of vacuum is closed, atmospheric pressure siipplements the spring bias in holding the vacuum port c osed.

Although We have shown and described three forms of the vacuum control valve in considerable detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A valve comprising a body, said body having a shuttle chamber therein, said chamber having co-axial ports at each end thereof, said body having a passageway forming a third port in said chamber intermediate said co axial ports, a shuttle member in said chamber, said shuttle member having a length less than the distance between said co-axial ports, said shuttle member having resilient closure portions at each end thereof, said shuttle member having a resilient neck portion extending from one end thereof, said neck portion extending outwardly of the shuttle chamber through one of said coaxial ports, a manually operated lever pivoted with respect to said valve body, and means carried by said lever and engaging said neck portion for moving said shuttle member to one end of said chamber to thereby close the port at said one end and open the port at said other end of the chamber in response to movement of the lever.

2. A valve comprising a body, said body having a shuttle chamber therein, said chamber having co-axial ports at each end thereof, said body having a passageway forming a third port in said chamber intermediate said co-axial ports, a shuttle member of rubber-like material in said chamber, said shuttle member having a length less than the distance between said co-axial ports, said shuttle member having resilient closure portions at each end thereof, said shuttle member having an integrally formed flexible and resilient neck portion extending from one end thereof, said neck portion extending outwardly of the shuttle chamber through one of said co-axial ports, a. manually operated lever pivoted with respect to said valve body, and means carried by said lever and engaging said neck portion for moving said shuttle member to one end of said chamber and close said one port and at the same time bend said neck portion relative to the shuttle member in response to pivotal movement of the lever.

3. In a vacuum control valve comprising a body having a cylindrical shuttle chamber, a port formed within said body at one end of said chamber, a disc secured to the other end of said chamber, said disc having a port formed therein co-axial with said port at said one end of the chamber, a shuttle member mounted in said chamber, said shuttle member having an axial extent less than the distance between said ports, said shuttle member having rounded end portions within the chamber to form closures for said ports, a neck of rubber-like material carried by said shuttle member and projecting therefrom through the port formed in said disc, said valve body having a pivot bracket adjacent said neck, a manually operated lever pivoted on said bracket, actuating means carried by said lever, said actuating means being connected to said projecting neck portion of said shuttle member whereby movement of said lever about its pivotal mounting moves said shuttle member to open one of said ports and close the other of saidports, and spring means biasing said lever to hold the shuttle member in 'a position opening one of said ports and closing the other of said ports.

4. In a vacuum control valve comprising a body having a cylindrical shuttle chamber, a port formed within said body at the lower end of said chamber, a disc secured to the upper end of said chamber, said disc having a port formed therein co-axial with said port at the lower end of the chamber, a rubber shuttle member mounted in said chamber, said shuttle member having an axial extent less than the distance between said ports, said shuttle member having rounded end portions within the chamber to form closures for said ports, an integrally formed resilient neck carried by said shuttle member and projecting therefrom through the port formed in said disc, said valve body having a pivot bracket above said chamber, a manually operated lever pivoted on said bracket, and a wire carried by said lever, said wire having convolutions formed at the end thereof and surrounding and gripping said neck portion of said shuttle member whereby movement of said lever about its pivotal mounting moves said shuttle member so as to open one of said ports and close the other of said ports.

5. In a vacuum control valve comprising a body having a cylindrical shuttle chamber, a port formed within said body at the lower end of said chamber, a disc secured to the upper end of said chamber, said disc having a port formed therein co-axial with said port at the lower end of the chamber, a rubber-like shuttle member mounted in said chamber, said shuttle member having an axial extent less than the distance between said ports, said shuttle member having rounded end portions within the chamber to form closures for said ports, an integrally formed resilient neck carried by said shuttle member and projecting therefrom through the port formed in said disc, said valve body having a pivot bracket above said chamber, a manually operated lever pivoted on said bracket, and a spring wire carried by said lever, said wire having convolutions formed at the end thereof surrounding and gripping said neck portion of said shuttle member whereby movement of said lever about its pivotal mounting moves said shuttle member so as to open one of said ports and close the other of said ports, said spring wire having a convolution intermediate the lever and the end thereof co-axial of the axis of the lever pivot.

6. In a vacuum control valve comprising a body having a cylindrical shuttle chamber, a port formed within said body at the lower end of said chamber, a disc secured to the upper end of said chamber, said disc having a port formed therein co-axial with said port at the lower end of the chamber, a rubber-like shuttle member mounted in said chamber, said shuttle member having an axial extent less than the distance between said ports, said shuttle member having rounded end portions within the chamber to form closures for said ports, an integrally formed resilient neck carried by said shuttle member and projecting therefrom through the port formed in said disc, said valve body having a pivot bracket above said chamber, a manually operated lever pivoted on said bracket, a spring wire carried by said lever, said wire having convolutions formed at the end thereof surrounding and gripping said neck portion of said shuttle member whereby movement of said lever about its pivotal mounting moves said shuttle member so as to open one of said ports and close the other of said ports, said spring wire having a convolution intermediate the lever and the end thereof co-axial of the axis of the lever pivot, said spring wire having that portion thereof between the axis of the lever pivot and the end thereof bent downwardly towards the valve body to close the body port before the lever reaches a position normal to the axis through the ports.

7. A valve assembly comprising a valve body having a shuttle chamber therein, first and second end ports communicating with said shuttle chamber at opposite ends thereof and an intermediate port communicating with said shuttle chamber between said end ports, a shuttle member movable in said chamber between a first extreme position in which it blocks said first end port and permits fluid flow through the shuttle chamber between said intermediate port and said second end port and an opposite extreme portion in which it blocks said second end port and permits fluid flow through the shuttle chamber between said intermediate port and said first end port, a valve-operating member mounted for movement between opposite positions with respect to the valve body, and resilient means coupling said valve-operating member to the shuttle member to move the shuttle member between said extreme positions thereof in response to movement of the valve-operating member between said opposite positions thereof, said resilient means in one of said opposite positions of the valve-operating member being stressed to bias the shuttle member resiliently against said first end port.

8. The valve assembly of claim 7 wherein said resilient (means in the other opposite position of the valveoperating member is stressed to bias the shuttle member resiliently against said second end port.

9. A valve assembly comprising a valve body having a shuttle chamber therein, first and second end ports communicating with said chamber at opposite ends thereof and an intermediate port communicating with the chamber between said end ports, a shuttle member reciprocable along a line of movement in said shuttle chamber between a first extreme position in which it blocks said first end port and permits fluid flow through the shuttle chamber between said intermediate port and said second end port and an opposite extreme position in which it blocks said second end port and permits fluid flow through the shuttle chamber between said intermediate port and said first end port, said shuttle member having a reduced neck extending beyond the valve body at one end thereof, a manually operable lever mounted outside the valve body beyond said one end thereof for pivotal movement between opposite positions, means providing a pivotal support for said lever beyond said one end of the valve body and at one side of said line of movement of the shuttle member, and a resilient Wire connected at one end to said lever at the opposite side of said pivotal support from said line of movement of the shuttle member, said wire having its opposite end connected to said reduced neck beyond said one end of the valve body at a location with respect to its connection to the lever and with respect to said pivotal support such that the wire is stressed to resiliently bias the shuttle member against said first end port in one of said opposite positions of the lever and is stressed to resiliently bias the shuttle member against said second end port in the other opposite position of the lever.

l 0. The valve assembly of claim 9 wherein said shuttle member is of rubber-like material, and said reduced neck on the shuttle member is deformable and resilient.

11. The valve assembly of claim 10 wherein said wire is looped around said pivotal support to provide a coil spring portion between its ends.

12. The valve assembly of claim 10 wherein said wire, between its connection to the lever and its connection to said reduced neck, is disposed between said pivotal support and said one end of the valve body, and said reduced neck is flexed when the shuttle member is against said second end port.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,437,702 Alkan Dec. 5, 1922 2,645,451 Gladden July 14, 1953 2,743,738 Johnson May 1, 1956 2,908,291 =Hunt Oct. 13, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 823,556 Germany Ian. 7, 1952 

